Cargo plane crash kills 11 in Russian far east

Moscow, August 9, 2011

The Antonov-12, which was delivering food products to the far-flung region of Chukotka, caught fire and requested to make an emergency return to the city of Magadan soon after takeoff.

"(The airplane was carrying) nine crew members and two passengers, as well as 16 tonnes of food products," said a statement from the prosecutor's website. Interfax news agency cited the office as saying all those on board had died.

A search and rescue team had been sent out earlier on Tuesday to find the craft and those on board.

The crash is the latest in a string of transport accidents that have prompted Russia's leaders to condemn the country's dilapidated infrastructure and endemic corner-cutting on safety ahead of parliamentary elections in December and a presidential poll next March.

The An-12 had been leased to private airline company Avis-Amur, which the prosecutor's office said was being probed for possible safety violations that may have led to the accident.